India’s ties with Iran not influenced by any 3rd country: MEA

NEW DELHI: The Indian government on Wednesday exhorted that its bilateral ties with India stand on its own and are not influenced by India’s relations with any third country to scoff any suggestions that Delhi is acting under American pressure on scaling down its ties with Tehran

“India's bilateral relations with Iran stand on their own and are not influenced by India’s relations with any third country,” MoS MEA V Muraleedharan told Lok Sabha answering a query exactly a week after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo branded Iran as a “state sponsor of terror” during his Delhi visit.

Muraleedharan was answering a query on Indo-Iran trade agreement. “An Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of Islamic Republic of Iran" was signed on 10 April 2001. The Agreement, inter alia, provides for strengthening and diversifying trade relations and economic cooperation between India and Iran on the basis of equity, mutual respect and reciprocal benefits. There is no specific Government to Government Agreement on import of crude oil from Iran. Such imports are based on commercial contracts between the companies.”


The two sides different perspectives on Iran was a key item on the agenda during the Pompeo’s visit. “We have a certain perspective on Iran, obviously from where we are based…,” Foreign Minister S Jaishankar affirmed.